Thanksgiving

I'm so thankful for my health! Even as I am awaiting word on a back condition, I'm healthier now than I have ever been. It's a daily journey that I am on - one that values the temple God put my spirit in on this planet. To take care of it the best I can!

So here comes the first of the holiday season traps - the thanksgiving meal! Everyone seems to throw all restraint out of the window.  Where a healthy human only needs 1500 or so healthy calories a day, most folks will eat 5-6,000 calories during their thanksgiving meal. How is that loving yourself?

So here are some tips to eating what you love, while loving yourself. 

* Portions!  If you have to have that dessert or fattening mashed potatoes and gravy, let a spoonful do. Even a full plate with lots of sample spoonfuls will have way more fat and calories than expected! And even too much of a good thing is bad - 4oz of meat is a portion size (a deck of cards)

* Fill up on healthier choices - white meat turkey, veggies, fresh veggie appetizers

* Make recipes as healthy as possible - low or no fat instead of full fat ingredients. 

*Avoid pie crust! That's where a lot of the fat is! 

*Don't drink your calories! Sip water with lemon or unsweet tea with the meal. 

*No seconds!

Yeah some of you are thinking I'm I kill joy, but eating mindfully is a daily choice. Every day. 

You're worth it!

e b e r

And Now...A Mental Health Moment

I hate November. 

I don't want to. I am trying to be mindful of my thoughts and actions as I head into November, but how I dread it. 

It has been one of my worst months, dealing with depression. I can be moving forward and doing well, but as November looms, the terrain changes. Solid ground turns to mire and suddenly I am struggling to walk, to breath, and I can feel the downward slide. 

I hate it. 

In November, a pivotal life changer happened. Then four years later my first love was killed in a car accident, two days after thanksgiving. In November, his mother died - a woman who was like a mother to me. Recently in November, my favorite Aunt died. And just to add a kicker, my dad just had a major medical situation...unfolding as I write. 

My therapists have told me to be aware of triggers. Well, November is ripe with them. I set my face and set goals. I have a plan on how to eat, how to make sure to exercise. I make sure my accountability folks are aware. 

I pray. A lot. 

My jaw is clenched, though.  I'm terrified. I HATE the slide, I hate depression. I don't want to feel that way. 

Pray for my dad. 

e b e r

The Health/Happiness Connection

I've been working on becoming more mindful about my mental health - what to accept, what to let go, etc. 

This is another part of my holistically driven health goal - better mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 

This week I was in the inter mountain west for a whole week. 

Physically, I was outside in my favorite part of the country, breathing clean air, hiking, walking, climbing, fishing. And sleeping like I haven't slept in years. 

Emotionally, I was reconnecting with family - and making my peace. I was journaling, and I was laughing and spontaneous. 

Spiritually I connected to the "old me". I came out of my doldrums and entered peace. Joy. Happiness!

From a health standpoint, my blood sugars were better than they have been in months. I effortlessly lost 5 pounds.  My sleep was better. 

I felt - and feel - great!

I'm a mountain girl, and I was home. That week change my outlook. 

I was healthier by the numbers - and could it be because I was so much happier?

Everyone knows that stress is correlated negatively to health - increased stress leads to a myriad of health complications. 

So my aha moment - purpose to be happy. Choose joy! I have done so before off and on in the past, but never with my health specifically in mind. 

After a week of joy and fun and laughs and excitement, I feel better than I have in a long time.

And I have the numbers to prove it. 

Mindfulness is a trendy term, but I am choosing to be happy. To unabashedly take care of myself, to cheer myself and others on, to let the haters hate. 

I choose joy.

How about you? 

Your quality of life depends upon it.

e b e r 

Skinny/Fat

I decided this morning I don't like either word. 

Skinny and fat are both loaded words. Derogatory. Or, in the case of skinny, it is a description people mistakenly aspire to. 

The word that I want people to aspire to is healthy. Because being healthy is the goal. Wouldn't it be great to see yourself as healthy? Aspiring to health instead of a body type? 

Healthy is going to look different on each person - and that's appropriate because it is a one person at a time journey.  

It means getting real. Ever day. Looking at the choices you are making. Understanding your health risks - and paying attention to what you are doing to mitigate those risks. 

When I was younger, I was skinny. I had a physique that was enviable to many - but I was the furthest thing from healthy. While I looked culturally acceptable, I was guzzling soda. I was eating tons of highly processed foods. I existed on carbs. I was sedentary. The 14 years of ballet, tap, and jazz I was raised on had turn into couch potato. With a healthy serving of French fries on the side. 

Five years ago the diabetes on both sides of my family caught up to me. The carb diet had to change, or I was going to to have long term health complications. 

It's a journey. 

Every day.

 What are you eating? What are you drinking? Are you exercising? 

Of course the first thing you need to do is get real - and that means going to the doctor. Stepping on a scale. Telling them what you eat, what you do.  Getting a physical. Finding out your risk factors. 

Then you start the journey. 

It will last the rest of your life. 

Make the goal health.  If you are overweight, eventually health will bring you to a BMI that is healthy. 

If you are slender but sedentary, it will benefit you from head to toe. 

The focus needs to come off loving yourself "just as you are" to loving yourself enough to daily strive to be as healthy as you can. 

It's mindfully eating. It's choosing to get up and move around. It's deciding to drink water throughout the day. It's fueling yourself, not feeding your emotions. 

It's reality. 

Get on board. You won't regret it. 

e b e r

Vay Kay Eating

We are going to Disney World soon. 

How do you maintain your healthy lifestyle at an amusement park?

It can be done...but it takes intention, and planning!

First of all, don't get caught in the "it's a free weekend...I'll make up for it next week" trap. The damage you do to your health is not worth it. You could have a huge setback, causing you to fall off the wagon. 

That being said, plan for treats. There is a WIDE spectrum of treats, so evaluate your choices. Don't go off the deep end. Look at nutritional info about your favorite treats. I've had one Cronut in my life - and it will be my first and last. That was amazing - but I shudder to think of the carb and calories!

Start with breakfast. There are healthy high protein options. Look away from the waffles and pancakes. 

Bring a water bottle in to the park - keep refilling, and drink water all day. 

There are a lot of great healthy choices at the myriad of restaurants. Keep your head on. 

Be accountable - my glucose meter will be with me at all times. 

I plan to continue my run training around the lake while I am there. Again, don't fall off the wagon with your workout!

Do the things you know to do and you won't come home with regrets. And pounds! 

e b e r

Moving In The Right Direction

I'm moving again in the right direction. 

I've been mindfully eating and exercising as much as my back would let me, so my weight stayed the same, and so did my sugars. 

A couple of weeks ago my hubby and I started The New Atkins Diet. *This is not a paid endorsement and discuss any diet or exercise changes with your MD before you start.*

I'm down 9 pounds. After two years of the same weight. I'm healthy and my BMI is satisfactory but my goal is to be leaner and stronger. 

The Atkins diet improved my blood sugars so much - and I'm eating lots of veggies! I also have started half marathon training again. 

It's slow and steady - my back is still getting stronger. I'm working on my core.  Also, I walk daily and work on posture and breathing. 

It's little changes that add up to great changes for the better!

What change for,the better can you make?

e b e r

Listen to Your Body

One of the earliest messages I received during Jeff Galloway half marathon training has become a mantra. 

Listen to your body. 

What does that mean? 

Well I'm week one back into training. I'm enthusiastic, I have a plan, I know what I was capable of last round. So I want to go go go!

The other fact is I've not been running regularly for months due to my lower back issues. 

This morning for some reason my back was starting to ache.

I listened, and completed the program walking.

I still walked 5 miles, but it wasn't the run/walk endurance builder I wanted. 

My goal when I started exercising for my health were these: have fun, and don't get hurt. 

Notice personal record, fastest 40-something, etc are not there. 

My body has limitations. If I ignore them I could injure myself - temporarily. Or permanently. 

Exercise is too important to me. It has changed my life for the better.  Having goals of half marathons has gotten me up and moving my and I am a different person. 

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, but I focused on staying healthy today. 

I focused on my posture - incorrect posture can really mess with your run, no matter who you are. 

I also concentrated on my breathing. So important, and often overlooked. I want my lungs working to the max. 

Because I didn't have to work as hard, I looked at the flowers, the birds, enjoyed the slightly cooler weather. 

I counted my blessings - literally. 

So while my time wasn't what I hoped for, today still moved me forward to a healthier me.

And my back isn't hurting! 

e b e r